The abrasives industry generally concerns abrasive products comprising a binder and a plurality of abrasive grains which are used to abrade a workpiece (e.g., stainless steel). It is the abrasive grains which are responsible for the cutting action of an abrasive product when it is applied to the workpiece. During use, the abrasive grains of an abrasive product can be subject to relatively high pressures, temperatures and rotative speeds; thus, preferred abrasive grains are hard, tough, and chemically resistant to the workpiece being abraded. In general, the hardness property is associated with the abrasive grain resisting yield from the forces of grinding. The toughness property is associated with the strength and fracture resistance of the abrasive grain. Chemical resistance generally relates to the chemical nature of the material from which the abrasive grain is formed, and the conditions of grinding.
Abrasive grains comprising fused aluminum oxide are well known and widely utilized. Over the past decade improved abrasive grains generally comprising the product of a sol-gel ceramic process conducted with aluminum oxide have also been developed. Such improved ceramic grains are generally tougher than fused aluminum oxide grains.